Are you a Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) customer and owner of a non-residential property in the city? You may be eligible for a stormwater grant to help you manage runoff on your property. You may also qualify for stormwater credits to reduce your monthly stormwater charge.
What is stormwater?
The easiest way to think of stormwater is to see it as water draining into the sewer system when it rains. A natural environment would absorb this water into the ground. But, in a city like Philadelphia, it runs off roofs and pavements, onto streets, and into storm drains.
In some parts of the city, stormwater picks up dirt, oil, and other pollutants and then flows into waterways, such as creeks and rivers. In other areas, it mixes with sewage and residential waste and is treated at one of the City’s three wastewater treatment plants. When stormwater is not managed properly, it can pollute Philly’s rivers. Neighborhoods may even experience flooding as a result.
Stormwater management
The City of Philadelphia manages stormwater by building and maintaining networks of pipes and drains that carry stormwater to local rivers and treatment plants. The goal is to reduce stormwater and combined sewer overflow entering Philadelphia streams.
Additionally, the City awards millions of dollars in Stormwater Grants each year to qualifying property owners to help them manage runoff. You can use the funds for environmentally friendly projects, such as fixing drainage problems, planting trees, or landscaping your property. In technical terms, these projects are called Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). By installing these green projects, you:
- Beautify your property,
- Reduce the stormwater charge on your water bill,
- Reduce stormwater pollution in Philadelphia’s creeks and rivers, and
- Help reduce flooding in Philadelphia neighborhoods during rainstorms.
Who’s eligible?
You are eligible for a stormwater grant if your Philly property is non-residential, condominium, or multi-family residential, and you plan to develop green projects (see examples above) on your site. These projects help protect the environment by reducing combined sewer overflows entering Philadelphia’s creeks and rivers.
For example, you qualify for this grant if you own a commercial property like an office or a shopping center. Owners of institutional properties like schools also qualify. Houses of worship are also eligible for a stormwater grant.
How to apply
You can easily apply for a stormwater grant online. Please review the information on this webpage thoroughly; it contains a step-by-step application guide and other helpful resources. Once you’ve developed green tools or Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) on your property, you qualify for one or more stormwater credits to lower your monthly stormwater charge.
